Smallwood, J J (2002) The influence of health and safety (H&S) culture on H&S performance. In: Greenwood, D (ed.) Proceedings of 18th Annual ARCOM Conference, 2-4 September 2002, Northumbria, UK.
Abstract
The upstream / downstream H&S sequence: culture, management system, exposure, incidents - indicates the influence of H&S culture on H&S performance. Values, vision, goals, mission, purpose, and assumptions, which collectively constitute H&S culture, occur upstream of and sequentially influence management system, exposure and ultimately, incidents. The second phase of the study reported on in the paper investigated the extent to which beliefs / perspectives / practices positively or negatively impacted on H&S performance, the reasons for the perceived impact, and how the impact manifested itself. The sample frame consisted of 26 'H&S best practice' GCs. Salient findings include: 'positive' components of an H&S culture impact positively, while 'negative' components impact negatively on H&S performance; comments from management, measurement and personal observations, constitute the predominating reasons for the perceived impact, and the positive impact manifested itself in reduced accidents and compensation insurance claims, compensation insurance rebates, enhanced housekeeping, environment and productivity, and improved programme performance. The findings amplify the role of H&S culture in H&S performance and reinforce the postulated upstream / downstream H&S sequence.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | health and safety culture; health and safety performance |
| Index terms: | health and safety, management system, productivity, programme, insurance, best practice, compensation, exposure |
| Subjects: | economic analysis, business, dispute resolution, project controls, public and environmental health, management, health safety and environment |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Time Control, Legal Issues, Health and Safety, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 1 C |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here